Process of electrolytically refining copper-nickel alloys.



PATENTBD MAY 9, 190".

A. G. BETT". PROCESS OP ELEGTROLYTIGALLY REFNING COPPER-NIGKBL ALLOYS.

IIIIII E N T0 R i Mv XPPLIUATION FILED APR,11,1904.

nio. 789,523.

Unitime tirantes Patented )May 9, 1905.

imafrisrrr which.

ANSON GARDNER BETIS, OF TROY, NEW YORK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 789,523, dated May 9, 1905.

Application filed April ll, 1904. Serial No. 202,603.

To all 1071/0717/ it NM1/y concern,.-

Be it known that l, ANsoN GARDNER Bn'rrs, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Troy, in the county o'l' Rensselaer and State of New York, have invented new and useful lmprovements in Processes oi' Electrolytically Relining Copl/)er-Yickel Alloys, oi which the following is a specilication accompanied b y drawings.

Figure 1 oi the drawings is a vertical secL tion of the apparatus 'lor electrolytically dissolving the copper-nickel alley and dtuiositing copper. Figs. 2 and 5 are vertical sections of di'tl'ercnt forms oi apparatus lor electrolytically depositing nickel. Figs. 3 and 6 are vertical sections showing apparatus arranged ttor electrolytically reducing lead sulfate contained in spongy lead toinetallic lead. Figs. t and 7 are vertical sections ol1 aiiparatus in which copper-nickel alloy is dissolved in sulfurie acid.

This invention relates to a process of making pure nickel and pure copper from alleys containingI copper and nickel.

ln electrolytically refining copper alloys containing considerable quantities of nickel by the usual electrolytic copper reiining process, usii'ig an acid copper-sultate solution as electrolyte, the solution becomes enriched in nickel by the accumulation oiLl nickel sul i'ate. 'lo electrolytically deposit the nickel and recover the combined sul'liu ric acid in useiiul lform has been a dil'licult and expensive matter; and the object el' my invention is to reduce this dil'liculty and cost.

ln practicing my invention l. Alirst electrolytically dissolve the copper-nick0l alloy and simultaneously deposit pure copper in and from an acid solution ot' sulfate oll copper. lhe nickel dissolved Yfrom the anodes remains in the solution as sulfate, while a chemicallyequivalent amount olf copper is deposited on the cathodcs. The solution accordingly increases in concentration with respect to nickel sulfate and decreases in respect to copper sulfate. Accordingly l occasionally withdraw solution el: nickel and coppersultate Yfrom the refining-tanks, replacing it with fresh solution oli copper sulfate containingl perhaps some nickel sulfate to keep plenty of copper in the copper-depositing solution. The nickel-sulfate solution l tree from copper by well-known electrolytic or chemical methods and preparea pure nickel-sul tate solution therefrom by crystallizatien of nickel sulfate or by 'freeing the solution from impurities by chemical methods. The pure nickel-sulfate solution is electrolyzed with an anode of spongy lead ot' the same character as is used For the negative electrodes et lead storage batteries, whereby nickel is deposited on the cathode and the lead partly converted into load sulfate. I then electrolyZe a solution of sul t'uricacid with the spongylead electrode as cathode and prefer to use a lezul-lieroxid electrode, partly reduced to lead sulfate as anode, whereby the solution becomes enriched in sul'turic acid, the lead sulfate of the spengy-lead electrode being reconverted into spongy lead lor vfurther use in depositing nickel Vtroni the solution of its sulfate and the lead sulfate of the lead-peroxid electrode being converted into lead peroxid, asin charging a lead storage battery. lt' the lead-peroxid electrode is used, after it is thor oughly peroxidized l bring it into a solution containing` sulfuric acid in which is also suspended an electrode oit copper or nickel-copper alloy, or lfragments of such metal may be supported therein en a conductor. On closing the circuit electric energy is generated, with the conversion of a. part et' the lead peroxidtinto lead sulfato and solution ol. the copper-nickel or copper anode. 'lhe electric energv produced may be mest easily utilized by placing the cell in the relifiery-circuit, when it operates to raise the voltage oiE the current passing through instead oi' depressing the voltage, as in the case of most electrolytic tanks. The copper-sulfate or nickel-copper-sulfate solution produced goes to the electrolytic cepperwlepositing and copper-nickel-dissolving tank. My process therefore regenerative as regards the sulfuric acid used and partly as regards the electric el'iergy used. l may, however, use a plain lead anode or one oi other insoluble material in this operation.

An alternative method in reducing the lead sulfate ol the spongy-lead electrode consists in electrolyzing` with a plain lead anode and neutralizing the sulfuric acid produced by IOO dissolving therein copper oxids or metallic copper with the help of oxidation by means of air, which operations can be easily carried out by well-known methods. The copper-sulfate solution produced is added to the copperdepositing electrolyte.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 shows in Vertical section a tank 1, lined with lead Q, containing a solution 3 of copper and nickel sul'fates and an anode of copper-nickelalloybcingrelined. lVhen an electric current is passed, copper and nickel dissoive from the anode and copper 6 deposits on copper cathodes 5.

Fig. 2 shows in Vertical section a tank T, lined with lead 8. @n the bottom of the tank is a layer of spongy lead 9. The tank contains a solution of nickel sulfate 10, in which is suspended a cathode 11, ofsuitable material, with its electrodeposit of nickel 1Q. illhen an electric current is passed, nickel deposits on the cathode and the spongy lead is partly K converted into lead sulfate.

Fig. 3 shows in vertical section the same tank 'T and spongy lead 9, with a solution of sulfuric acid 13, in which is suspended a lead electrode 14, containing in recesses in its body active material of lead,lead peroXid, and lead sulfate 15. lVhen an electric current is passed, the lead sulfate in the spongy lead is converted into metallic lead and the lead sulfate in the active material 15 is converted into lead peroxid and the concentra# tion of sulfuric acid in the electrolyte in creases exactly as in the case of charging a lead storage battery when charging.

Fig. a shows in vertical section a tank 16, lined with lead 17, on the bottom of which is a layer of copper-nickel-anode scrap 18 or other copper-nickel fragments or metallic copper. The lead electrode la with its active material in a peroxidized condition is suspended in the contained solution 19 of sulfuric acid. lYhen an electric current is allowed to pass, the lead peroxid of the electrode 14 is partly converted into lead sulfate and metal is dissolved from 18, with the production of electric energy.

Fig. 5 shows in Vertical section a form of apparatus which can be used in place of that shown in Fig. 2. The tank Q0, lined with lead 21, contains a solution 2Q of nickel sulfate. An electrode 23, of lead, containingin recesses in its body spongy lead 24, is suspended inthe solution. Gathodes 25, of suitable material, with their electrodeposits of nickel QG, are also suspended in the solution. The electrochemical solution is the same as was described under the description of Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 shows a View in vertical section of a form of apparatus which can be used in place of that shown in Fig. 3. The tank 27 contains the lead electrode 23, (shown in Fig. 5,) with the active material in the condition of con taining lead sulfate in a solution 29 of sulfurie acid. Lead electrodes 30, containing in recesses in their bodies plugs 31, of active material of lead. lead sulfate, and lead peroxid in the reduced condition, are suspended in the solution. rlhe electrochemical operation is the same as was described under the description of Fig. 3.

F ig. 7 shows in Vertical section a form of apparatus whielr can be used in place of that shown in Fig. 4. The tank 32, lined with lead 33, contains a solution of sulfuric acid 34, with the electrodes 30, (shown in Fig. 6,) with the active material 31 in a peroXidiZed condition suspended therein and an anode 35, of copper alloy. The electrochemical operation is the same as that described under the description of Fig. 4L.

That l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe process of electrodepositing nickel from solutions of nickel sulfate, which consists in electrolyzing the solutions with an anode of spongy lead, and with a suitable cathode.-

2. The process in reining copper-nickel alloys, which consists in dissolving the alloy as anode in a solution containing copper salts, for the electrodeposition of metallic copper and production of a solution of nickel salt, preparing a nickel-sulfate solution therefrom, electrolyzing the nickel-sulfate solution with a suitable cathode and with a spongy-lead anode for the electrodeposition of metallic nickel, and production of lead sulfate, and reducing the lead sulfate formed to metallic lead by electrolysis as a cathode in a solution containing the sulfuric-acid radical.

3. The process of eleetrolytically depositing metallic nickel Yfrom solutions of nickel sulfate, which consists in eleetrolyzing the solution with a suitable cathode and with an anode of spongy lead, and subsequently reducing the lead sulfate produced by electrolysis as a cathode in a solution of sulfuric acid.

a. rlhe process of relining copper-nickel alloys which consists in electrolyzing a solution of copper and nickel sulfates, with the alloy as anode, preparing nickel-sulfate solution from the nickel-and-copper solution, electrolyzing the nickelsulfate solution with a spongy-lead anode, with the deposition of nickel on a suitable cathode, electrolytically reducing to spongy lead the lead sulfate formed, for the production of sulfuric-acid solution, converting the sulfuric acid obtained partly into copper sulfate, and returning the copper sulfate to the copper-depositing bath.

5. The process of reiining copper-nickel alloys which consists in electrolyzing a solution of copper and nickel sulfatos, with the alloy as anode, preparing nickel-sulfate solution 'from the nickel-and-copper solution, electrolyzing the nickel sulfate solution with a spongy-lead anode, with the deposition of nickel on a suitable cathode, electrolytically ISO reducing to Spongy lead the lead sulfate formed, fol' the production oi sulfuric-acid Solution, converting the sulfuric acid obtained partly into copper Sulfate by electrolysis of Suid sulfuric acid with an anode containing copper, `amd n cathode of lead peroxid, und returning the coppei sulfate formed to the copperdepositinI bath.

In testimony Whereoi,I Ilmve signed my naine to this Specification in the presence oi two Suhsciibing witnesses.

ANSON GARDNER BETTS.

Witnesses:

EDWARD KERN, WILLIAM VALENTINE. 

